


A Night of Secrets

by phdfan



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Genre: F/M, Forsaken Vows, Implied Relationships, Implied Sexual Content, Misspent Youth, POV First Person, Truth or Dare, Wild Past
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-14
Updated: 2013-02-14
Packaged: 2017-11-29 06:13:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/683756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phdfan/pseuds/phdfan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Isabela suggests a simple game of 'Never ever' at the Hanged Man.  What could go wrong?</p><p>Written for the 'truth or dare' trope as part of Trope Bingo: Round One.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Night of Secrets

**Author's Note:**

> As always, my thanks to jillyfae for the beta. :)

**A Night of Secrets**

We’d had a few by the time she suggested it, which is probably why it seemed like a good idea.

“Why don’t we play a little game?” Isabela said, leaning forward to catch the eyes of everyone around the table.  If her suggestion didn’t capture everyone’s imagination, the view down her cleavage did.  It certainly captured mine.  _Andraste help me_.

“Oooh, I love games!” Merrill said, clapping her hands together and jumping up and down in her seat.  I regarded the curvaceous pirate a little more sceptically.

“What did you have in mind?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“A little game I like to call ‘Never ever’,” she said, a slow grin spreading across her face.

“I’m not sure that’s such a good idea, Rivaini,” said Varric, and Isabela jostled him with her shoulder.

“Come on Varric, you’re not usually a spoilsport.  What harm can it do?”

“What does this game involve?” Fenris asked, slurring his words.  The elf had started on the drink before he’d arrived, and was miles ahead of everyone else at the table.

“It’s quite simple,” said Isabela, and the glow in her eyes showed she was warming up to her audience.  “One person starts and says something they’ve never done.  Like, oh, ‘Never ever have I been married’, and anyone who HAS been married has to take a drink.”

“But didn’t you say that you were married once, Isabela?”

“It was just an example, kitten.  You can say whatever you want when it’s your turn.”

“I don’t know,” I said, putting my tankard back down on the table.  “That could… go places.”  Places I didn’t particularly want to go, truth be told.  My past was my past.

But Isabela turned those tiger eyes of hers on me, and gave me a deliciously suggestive smile, running her tongue along her lower lip.  “Maybe that’s where I want it to go,” she said, then turned her attention to the rest of the party.  “Look, anyone who doesn’t want to play doesn’t have to.  But those who do, make sure you have a full drink in front of you.”

Only Anders got up, and I was sure he was going to storm off.  But moments later he returned with a full pitcher for the table.  I guess we were all game.

“I’ll start then, shall I?”  Isabela said.  “Let’s start with something easy.  Never ever have I… fought a qunari single-handed.”  She turned her dark eyes on Hawke.

“Very clever,” Hawke said, and took a drink.  Surprisingly, after a moment, Fenris did too.  “My turn then I guess,” said Hawke.  “Never ever have I… passed out on a table in the middle of a night out.”

“Oh, that’s me!” Merrill said, and took a big drink.  I picked up the tankard in front of me, and took my rightful share, and I saw Isabela, Fenris, Varric, and Anders do the same.  “Is it my turn now?” Merrill asked, almost bouncing up and down in her seat.  “Never ever have I… been to Starkhaven.”

“Well,” I said, “We all know who that one’s directed at.”  I took another drink from my tankard, and raised my eyebrows when I saw Isabela take a draught from her own cup. “I believe it’s my go now,” I said.  “Never ever have I… been possessed by a demon.  Sorry – spirit.”

Anders snorted, and took a drink without saying anything.  After swallowing, he wiped the foam from his top lip, and said, “Never ever have I… been so hypocritical that I would fight for the freedom of slaves while condemning those who are imprisoned because of an accident of birth.”

“Whoa,” said Varric, holding up his hands.  “Ease off, guys.  We have all night to play, we don’t have to get to the rough stuff straight away.”

Fenris glared at Anders.  “I suppose that failed attempt at witticism was directed at me, mage?”  He took a drink, and slammed his tankard back onto the table.  None of the ale spilled over the edge, showing just how much he’d drank. “Fine.  Never ever have I… used magic to make someone do something they didn’t choose.”

Merrill picked up her cup and drank.  She saw me looking at her, and shrugged her shoulders.  “They were going to go right into the wyvern lair.  They wouldn’t listen to me, I had to do _something_.”  She put her cup back on the table.  “My go again!” she said.  “Never have I ever… been into the Deep Roads.”

Hawke drank.  As did Fenris, Anders, and Varric.  This was one round where I was free.

“And may we never have to go back there ever again,” Varric said, toasting everyone with his mug.  “I guess it’s my go, since everyone else has gone.”  He gazed off into the distance, steepling his fingers in front of him.  “Never ever have I… written friend fiction.”

“You liar, Varric,” Isabela said and laughed before taking a long draw from her mug.  “Let’s get this back where it needs to be – dirty.  Never ever have I… taken it up the arse.”  Isabella raised her eyebrows and grinned, “Now, who’s going to take a drink?”

I looked around the table.  No one was moving.  Slowly, I reached forward, picked up the tankard, and took a drink.

“Oooh, Sebastian, you naughty boy!” said Isabela, and her grin grew wider as she gave me an exaggerated wink.

I wasn’t surprised to see Anders curl his hand around his cup and raise it to his lips, and had one of my suspicions confirmed when Fenris did the same, but I was surprised to see Hawke – the lovely, fair Lady Hawke – take her own mug and gulp down a mouthful.

“Mmmm, glad I asked that one,” said Isabela.  “So much material for my novels!  Okay, Anders, your go.  No baiting broody elves.”

“You take all the fun out of it, Izzy,” Anders said, and settled back in his chair to think.  “Very well, never ever have I… had an STD.”

Isabela pouted at him.  “You swore you’d never tell,” she said, and took a drink.  The mug was cool in my hand as I lifted it to my lips.  There was that one time – ill-thought out, as most of my early conquests were – with a sweet and innocent tavern maid, or so I’d thought… until we got to her bedroom and I was very pleasantly disabused of that notion.

The most surprising response, however, was Varric picking up his tankard.  He widened his eyes when he saw everyone looking at him, and shrugged his shoulders.  “What?  It happens.”  He took a long drink, wiped his mouth, and replaced the mug on the table.  “Well then, I’ll take the next round.  Never ever have I… seen the famous Witch of the Wilds.”

I had never had the honour, but watched as Hawke, Merrill, Fenris, and Anders drank their due.  “Your go, daisy,” said Varric with a smile.

“Oooh, I have a good one!” Merrill glanced over at Isabela.  “This one’s dirty, like you wanted,” she said, and Isabela rubbed her hands together in anticipation.  “Never ever have I… swum naked!” said Merrill with a triumphant smile.

I suppressed the smile that threatened to turn her victory into a joke, and gravely took my drink, followed by Anders and Isabela.

“Dwarves do not ‘swim’,” said Varric, shuddering, and Merrill suddenly laughed, clapping a hand to her mouth an instant afterwards.

“Actually, I lied!” she said with a giggle, “I _have_ swum naked!”  And she took a drink of her own.

“That’s cheating, kitten,” said Isabela gently, and wrapped an arm around the elf’s thin shoulders.  “I approve.”

“My go again,” I said, “And I’ll keep up the dirty tradition, shall I?  Never ever have I… seen such a beautiful woman as Isabela.”  I shot her a cheeky glance, which she returned with interest.

“Well I suppose I have to drink to that one by default,” she said, and did so.

Hawke groaned loudly, and threw a bread roll in what must have been my direction, but it was wildly off target, and hit the wall behind me.

“I suppose that makes it my go,” said Isabela.  “I’ll make it something we can all play with.  Never ever have I… been involved in a threesome.”  She waggled her eyebrows, and watched the table.

She was determined to know everybody’s secrets.  I took hold of my cup, and drank.  It was only that one time….

Hawke coloured deeply, and glanced at both Fenris and Anders before taking a much larger gulp of her ale than she needed to.

“ _No_ ,” said Varric, “Really?”

The mage and the elf each drank from their respective cups, the elf’s skin darkening so that the lyrium lines on his neck and chin seemed brighter in comparison.

“It was just once-” he mumbled, then stopped and looked down at his cup.

“I thought you hated him,” Merrill said to Fenris, and he took another swig from his cup.

“But he loves Hawke,” Isabela said gently, and I could see the light dawn in Merrill’s eyes.

“Well,” said Anders, clearing his throat, “Now that that’s out in the open- I don’t understand why no one is asking why the prim Chantry boy here is drinking so much.”

“I didn’t always belong to the Chantry, Anders,” I replied.

“No,” said Isabela, with a subtle gleam in her eyes, “He had a wild, misspent youth.”  She turned those eyes on me, “Such a shame you decided to put that behind you.”

If any woman could cause me to forget my vows, it would be one like her.  Strong, confident, curvy.  I could imagine my hands around those perfect breasts of hers, around her waist.  Could imagine holding them while she sat on top of me –

Varric’s polite cough brought me back to the table, and I ducked my head to hide the blush I could feel creeping up my neck.  Isabela, however, did not look away, and her smile turned decidedly predatory.  I would be in trouble later, I knew.

“I forgot to take my drink,” she said, and gulped down the remainder of her ale.  I looked up at her, my query in my eyes.  “I lied too,” she said by way of explanation, and smiled that long slow smile again.

Neither Fenris nor Anders seemed inclined to continue the game, and Merrill was yawning wide enough to admit a herd of halla.  I pushed back my chair and stood up,

“Well, thank you everyone for the game.  It was… enlightening.”  And would give me plenty of food for thought later.

Isabela pouted, “Going so early?”

“Matins does not wait for the sluggard,” I said, and started to move towards the exit.  Isabela beat me there, and lounged up against the doorway so that I would have to brush past her if I wanted to leave. “Please, Isabela.  I have my duties.”

She pouted again, and I wanted to kiss those delicious lips.  The thought made me think of other, lower lips, that would no doubt also be a pleasure to kiss.  I shook my head, and she leaned in close.

“Later then, choir boy,” she said softly into my ear, and stepped aside to let me through.

All the way back to the Chantry, I was kicking myself for being an idiot.  Here was this beautiful, confident woman, who had clearly signalled her desire, and I had brushed her off.  For what? A narrow and uncomfortable bed in the Chantry. A night lying sleepless, looking at a stone ceiling.

Did my vows even count anymore?

I lay down on the cot, and started to count the cracks among the stones.  I did not realise she was even in the room until the cracks were blotted out by a shape above me.

Her knees were on either side of my body, her deliciously ripe breasts extending towards me, and her eyes locked with mine.  “Tell me to get out of here, and I’m gone,” she said, then leaned down and took my ear between her teeth, “Or don’t say a word and have one of the best nights of your life.”

When she let go of my ear, I captured her lips.  I wouldn’t say a word, but I was determined to make her sing.


End file.
